John loftus



(Modell.) l

J. LOFTUS.

y FEED WATER INJBGTOB.. lNo. 247.464. PatentedSept. 20,1881.

6556153 Izzvemof JOHN. gaf-TUS, y-

ozey UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 g JOHN LOFTUS, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PETER KINNEAR, OF SAME PLAGE.

FEED-WATER INJECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,464, dated September 20, 1881.

Application led July 5, 1881.

p city and county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements in Feed-Water Injectors, of

which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to improvements in injectors for supplyingfeed-Water to steam-boilers; and the object of my improvements is to facilitate a prompt and energetic action of the injector whenever it is started, and to, render its action. entirely automatic without recourse to the manipulations that are ordinarily required to effect the proper adjustment of the several parts of the instrument whenever -it is thrown out of use either by accident or design. This object I attain by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved injector, showing the position of' the several parts when the injector is at work; and

Fig. 2, a like section in outline, showing the position of the relietvalves while the injector is being started.

As ordinarily constructed injectors with automatic relief-valves are defective, for the reason that While the device is being started in operation the iniow of the steam is checked and retarded by the contraction of the tapering passage between the steam-inlet and the relief-valve. This retardation causes the steam to set back and flow into the watersupply pipe, and by its pressure therein the water is prevented from entering the injector until considerable time has been spent in adjusting the parts of the device that are .hidden from the sight of the operator into positions that will enable the apparatus to take water. To remedy this defect I provide my injector with an auxiliary relief-valve placed intermediately between the steam-inlet and the usual reliet valve, and form a full, free, and unobstructed passage-way for the steam from its entrance at the inlet-openin g to its escape through the auxiliary relief-valve, so that in starting the injector the low of steam will be unretarded. By this free flow of steam sufficient vacuum is (Model.)

instantly formed in the injector to enable it to draw its supply of water at once, and the initial supply ot' water in passing through the unobstructed passage hereinbefore referred to acquires such velocity that, following the well- Aknown law that imparts to a rapidly-moving current of water an excessive force and power, and inclines it to always follow astraightcourse, it will be carried by its impetus into the coincident contracted passage, which, for the purpose of obtaining a proper operation of an injector, it is essential to interpose between the steam-inlet and the @duction-passage of the injector.

' As represented in the drawings, my injector is composed of the following parts:

A is an adjustable nipple, to which the pipe for supplying the injector with steam is connected. Said nipple is provided with a conit'orm longitudinal passage, a, whose largest diameter is turned toward the entering current of steam. The inner end of said nipple is reduced to form a conical nozzle, a, so that the metal surrounding the inner end of the passage a will be reduced to a knife-edge.

B is the first section of the body ot' the injector. Said section is provided with a branch, b, for receiving an induction water-pipe, which connects with a suction-chamber, b; and extending from the latter thereis a longitudinal passage, b2, which I preferably make cylindrical in form, and at its end next the chamber b countersink it to form the conical enlargement b, for receiving the end ofthe nozzle a'. The inner end of the passage b2 is surrounded by a conical nozzle, b4.

C, the second section of the body of the injector, is provided with a vacuum-chamber, o, and a valve-chamber, c', containing the steamrelief valve c2, which closes the escape-opening o3. Beyond the vacuum-chamberc aconitorm longitudinal passage, c4, is formed, with its largest end turned toward the vacuumchamber and its smallest end surrounded by a conical nozzle, c5.

I), the third section of the body of the injector, is provided with a chamber, d, and a valvechamber, d', containing the water-relief valve d?, which closes off the overflow-opening d3. Beyond the chamber d a longitudinal eduction-passage, d4, is formed. Said passage is made of a conical form, with its smaller end turned toward the chamber d. The outer end of the injector terminates in a screw-threaded end, d5, to which the feed-pipe leading to the boiler is connected.

The several sections of the injector are se cured together in such manner that the passages a, b2, c4, and d4 will coincide and range in a straight line. rEhe nozzle a passes entirely across the suction-chamber b and enters the conical enlargement b3 insuch manner that an annular passage will be formed between the latter and the nozzle a', and the said annular passage may be eitherdiminished or increased, as occasion requires, by screwing the adjustable nipple A into or out ot' the section B, to meet the requirement ot the pressure of' steam under which the injector is to be used. 'Vhen the nipplehas been properly adjustedit should be secured in place by means of thejam-nut a2. Thenozzle b4 should extend about midway into the yacuum-chambcrc, and the nozzle ciy should be arranged in relation to the chamber d in a like manner.

The valve-cham bers c and d are respective] y provided with bonnets ce andd', each ot' the latter being provided with a central opening, wherein the stem ofthe valve contained in its chamber is guided.

After the injector is iixed in place and properly connected to the boiler and to the watersupply by means of steam and Water pipes, its operation is as follows: Steam is admitted into the injector through the steam-inlet a, and when first ad mitted it passes freely through the passage b2 and thence out ot' the escapeopening c3 and overflow cl3,as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. By this nnresisted flow of the steam it attains such velocity that as it time the injector is operating, meets the current of iniiowing steam, causing the latter to become condensed and producing suiicient vacuum to cause the relief-valve c to fall into its seat and close oi the escape-opening c3. While passing through the passage b2, before the relief-valve c2 is closed, the water acquires so great a velocity that its impetus carries it into and causes it to pass irresistably through the conical passage c, chamber d, and educ tion-passage d4, and from thence through the usual feedpipe into the boiler.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the essential feature of' my improvement is the introduction of the cylindrical passage b2, vacuum-chamber c, and auxiliary relief-Valve c2 between the end ofthe nozzle a and the conicel passage c4k and relief-valve d2. And by means of the cylindrical passage b2 I provide a free opening, through which the steam can reach the relief-Valve c2 without meeting the usual resistance presented by the conical.pas sage commonly used.

l claim as my inventionl. In a feed-water injector, the passage b2, Vacuum-chamber c, and auxiliary relietvalve c2, placed intermediatel y between the steaminlet c and the relief-valve d2, the passage b2 being coincident and in the same lnc with the passages a, c, and d4, as and for the purpose herein speciiied.

2. In a feed-water injector, an auxiliary re lief-valve, o?, placed intermediatel y between 'the steam-inlet t and relietvalve d2, as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. In at'eedwater injector, the combination, with the steam-inletft, conical passage c4, chamber d, relief-valve d2, and eduction-passage d4, of the passage b2, vacuum-chamber c, an auX- iliary relief-valve c2, all constructed and arranged to operate as herein specified.

JOHN LOFTUS.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. Low, JAMES H. Foorn. 

